Viacom18 and StartUpIndia announce launch of MTV Kickstart

The outreach initiative will be an annual programme that aims to equip the Indian youth to start up.

Viacom18, along with StartUpIndia - an initiative of The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), has announced the launch of an outreach programme for young entrepreneurs called 'MTV Kickstart' with the aim to woo bright young minds.

MTV Kickstart will be an annual programme that aims to equip the Indian youth to start up. Supporting the youth brand MTV in its unique initiative, MTV Kickstart, StartUpIndia is all set to bridge the gap between ideas and investors, and extend a helping hand towards young India to realise their entrepreneurial dreams.

Launched as an annual property, MTV Kickstart is a multi-platform initiative which will reach out to young aspiring entrepreneurs through multiple touch-points. The initiative will start with a massive outreach plan that will run through 52 weeks, reaching out to 300 colleges across the country with heavy media buzz across TV and digital. MTV along, with #StartUpIndia will host Start-Up Festivals (two-day events) across Tier-I and Tier-II cities to enable the youth to have a personal interaction with India's top entrepreneurs and investors.

MTV Kickstart, in a reality TV show, will have youngsters fight it out for their share of the funds pie from investors. The winner as a reward, will get seed funding for their idea. A massive award show is also planned during the end of this programme to recognise and felicitate the best entrepreneurs under 30 years, from various sectors. The initiative will be driven by MTV, and will also witness a big scale media push across the entire range of Viacom18 and Network18 media assets, to be relayed across MTV India channels in over 40 countries.

Amitabh Kant, secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) says, "I am excited about our association with Viacom18's MTV for instituting a platform called MTV Kickstart. The multi-platform programme will help us engage with the dynamic youth of India, and help them start up with ease, and inspire a new generation to follow its dreams and become successful entrepreneurs."

An official statement says, "Delivered through engaging and interactive content through television, web, mobile and social media, MTV Kickstart will work towards educating the youth about the ecosystem of start-ups. The programme will aim to educate through personal and informal interactions with start-up kings, investors, advisory and much more."

Speaking about the initiative, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, says, "We are in the business of entertainment that enriches the lives of our audiences through meaningful content and by engaging with them across multiple platforms. We now wish to extend the catalyst role to the start-up space as well by being a part of the journey of young entrepreneurs who dream to create a better tomorrow for India. The government of India has done a commendable job at addressing the need of the hour by instituting initiatives such as #StartUpIndia to encourage young Indians to become entrepreneurs. Through the launch of MTV Kickstart, we are delighted to partner with #StartUpIndia to cultivate a culture of innovation within India and help young minds create exciting new ventures that drive India's growth story."

Explaining the concept of the initiative further, Ferzad Palia, head - Youth and English Entertainment, Viacom18, says, "India is brimming with young untapped energy keen on making ideas come to life and we at MTV, believe that as the largest platform for everything related to the youth, it is our responsibility to recognise, channelise and mobilise this energy by providing the youth with the right tools to make ideas happen. MTV Kickstart is our way of driving India's growth story by helping its biggest asset - the youth - to write their own narratives for the Make In India initiative laid down by our government."